I use this picture again and again of myself and my best friend Geordie. I figure he pretties the picture up considerably.
I have always been around dogs...lots of dogs. In fact, my first pet was on the scene before I was born. He was a Border Collie called Champ. Champ lived to the ripe old age of 17. My brother and I grew up with him.
Twelve years ago, Marah and I were on the search for a dog. She wanted a basset hound and the one we chose was not available when we went to get it. My eyes kept going back to an ad for "border collie puppies" and after the basset hound fell through, I called to inquire.
The lady said she had one pup left and they were going to keep him because he was the only red pup in the litter. Disappointed, I kept searching. The phone rang back in a short while and it was the lady with the border collie pup. She and her husband ran a sheep farm. She said the pup had a great disposition, but "didn't appear to want to work with the sheep" and they couldn't keep him. "He's full blooded," she said, "and you sounded like you really wanted him. Would $50 be too much?" I couldn't believe it! I accepted her kind offer and we had to wait 3 days to meet her near Franklin, TN. She was willing to deliver the puppy. At first sight, Marah said, "Mom! He's got eyes like Jordi in Star Trek!" And it stuck. I chose the spelling of Geordie because I liked it. Border Collies originated in an area on the border of Scotland and England. The folks who live there are called "Geordies." So, clearly, the name fit.
We have had 12 beautiful years with our faithful friend. He has experienced everything with us. As a puppy, when I had band rehearsals, he would lay in the floor of this great big room filled with musicians...and SLEEP! He romped and played with Marah, he rolled and tumbled with Wayne, and snuggled with us all when we needed extra love.
Geordie made his place in our family as "one of us."
Reality came crashing down recently as we had noticed that he was slowing down some. But then the next thing you know, he'd be running like a maniac, chasing goats, playing games with them and swimming in the pond. I just figured like any of us, as we age, we have great days and not so great days.
This past Saturday, Geordie had been with me to feed part of the livestock. It was hot, so I thought we'd do it in 2 feedings. I had been aware that the heat seemed to bother him more than usual. We came in and I started laundry. When that was done, I said, "Come on buddy! Let's go finish feeding." He didn't move. He just looked at me. I slapped my leg and said, "COME ON!" Nothing at all. No attempt to move. I realized something was wrong and it was bad. He seemed paralyzed. I called our vet and told her I was on my way with him. He could not stand or walk. I lifted him and carried him to my truck and we got to the vet. He was checked over and given IV fluids. There were a lot of nondescript symptoms. She gave me medicine for his heart because there appeared to be fluid and sent us home until Monday.
On Monday, we returned and xrays were taken. Geordie's heart was very enlarged, but the most shocking thing I have ever seen was that his abdomen was nearly full of a tumor! Things looked grim. The vet took the bloodwork and said she would call asap on Tuesday. With the catheter still in his leg, we came home. Wayne and I were terrified. What if this was Geordie's last night with us EVER? We didn't sleep a wink.
The vet called Tuesday morning, May 12, and said the bloodwork was surprisingly good. She added, "I've also had two surgery cancellations and I see this as a sign that we need to operate." She added, "It has to be soon." We knew what we had to do.
Trying to be strong, I rode in the back seat of Wayne's truck with Geordie. I held his head, stroked his back and told him over and over how much he means to us all and how we loved him. He was very still and very quiet. He barely moved. It was like he knew something was up and it was big.
Once we were at the vet, we were given plenty of time to be with Geordie while the surgical area was prepped. When the doctor came out, we all went into pre-op together and I asked if we could pray. Geordie was on the table and I knelt beside him. We were all in tears and we left our Geordie in the best hands possible.
The ride home was quiet. Wayne and I were numb. When we got home, I did EVERYTHING to keep busy. I even set about housework, trying to block negative thoughts as they tried to creep in. I HAVE TO STAY POSITIVE! I HAVE TO VISUALIZE HIM GETTING THROUGH THIS! Self-chastising helped pass my time as well.
When the call came, I said, "Wayne, I don't want to answer it. It's too soon! They can't be finished."
I finally answered the phone and one of the vet techs told me he was alive, he had come through the surgery and that the tumor was extremely large. The words "BOWLING BALL" and "LARGE CANTELOPE" had been used and she attested that indeed it was a frightening sight. The doctor later explained that the tumor was "angry" and that Geordie had precious little time before it actually 'blew.' She could not be sure that he would have made it to wait for surgery even one more day. He would have died a horrible death. I am so thankful that our vet followed her instincts and sent for us when she did, or this post might have been written from another sad perspective. I am certain that those two cancellations were indeed "THE SIGN" the vet spoke of and any loose cog in the wheel would have sent this story off on another track. In God's way and in God's time...we must be vigilant and listen in order to get the answers we seek in our prayers.
We were shocked to learn that if he improved as they felt he would, we could pick him up at 5:30 Tuesday evening! The doctor felt that Geordie would improve more quickly and respond better at home.
I figured I could vacuum and nearly have a clean house by then! Nerves are an excellent catalyst to getting your house clean! So, I worked like a maniac trying to pass the time.
When we arrived, the same vet tech who had called me earlier, came out and smiled. They had a surprise! Geordie WALKED OUT TO GREET US IN THE LOBBY! Tears flowed, he was groggy, but he WALKED to us! There were still a few things to be done, but we were welcomed to watch. They were busy removing the IV catheter, checking him over good and he was weighed.
Geordie had been weighing around 70 to 75 pounds in the past few months. By Monday, after the fluid removal, he was down to 60.5 pounds.
Today, after the tumor removal, he weighed a sleek 55.5 pounds. Our Geordie had been carrying a 5 pound tumor in his abdomen and as the doctor put it, kept it well hidden for a long time. He had several check ups prior to this episode and it simply didn't show up.
The point of this post? It's for me. I love that dog beyond words. He is my best friend. I'm sure anyone who reads this and has a pet can relate. Dogs have a way of marking a place in your heart that no one or nothing else can ever touch. It's theirs...and solely theirs.
My family swears I love Geordie more than them. And if I'm being a pain in the rear, I have been known to agree on that.
Geordie and I have shared EVERYTHING. He's the best secret keeper in the world. When we laugh, he's right there to romp all over us. When we celebrate, he's right in the middle of the celebration. When we cry, he's right there, sitting quietly, assuring us that things will be ok. He is our unwaivering, constant companion.
He is at home, surgery is over and now we wait for the pathology report. But he is alive and HOME. That is what is most important as I type this post.
Another interesting bit of Geordie info is that when we got Geordie as a pup, I had no idea until I looked at his papers that we share the same birth date. May 16 is OUR DAY.
God willing, we will share this birthday coming up in just a few days.
Having Geordie with me after this ordeal is the best gift I could ever dream of. Having Geordie in general is the best gift I could ever dream of.
Our pets are truly our friends. God gave us a means to have a loyal companion without all the messes that we humans make. Dogs keep things simple. They don't demand a thing and give more love that we can ever give back. They teach us how to TRULY forgive... and just forget! They don't hold grudges and even those poor souls that have been mistreated find a way to love again. We should all be like dogs in that way.
So, this is a post for me to pour my heart out, to rejoice and to celebrate my love for one very special dog, Geordie.
I love you boy and I'm so thankful you are back home with me tonight.
(I wonder how comfortable I'm going to be sleeping on his bed beside him tonight? I wouldn't have it any other way.)
Love your pets...and always remember just how much they love you.
Till next time,
Annie

|

If you haven't heard that name, I am asking you to please familiarize yourself with it. Take a dose of harsh reality, combine it with sincerity, humor and a real human being and you get Dr. RANDY PAUSCH. You will be awestruck at his courage, but most of all how he "lives" his life. His mental, spiritual and emotional strength will surely bring a tear or in my case, many tears.
I don't know when (if ever) I have been more inspired by a personality, a life story or a human being since I learned about Dr. Randy Pausch. The closest thing I have come to witnessing this kind of strength personally, was when I was actively involved with my best friend Frieda Hudson. Watching her fight for her life and work so hard to recover from her strokes was amazing and I was honored to be beside her.
Pausch was busy living his dreams, building his life, building his family and all was right with the world for him. It was then that he learned he had pancreatic cancer. Dr. Pausch has three small children. He is just a bit older than me and it really made me stop and truly look at life differently.
He advises "us"...his fellow human beings...to find our passions. He advises us to live our childhood dreams. He in fact, actually still has his "list" and he has accomplished the majority, if not all of them.
Randy Pausch is brilliant academically. That in itself is an accomplishment, but out of no where comes this man with this ZEAL, this SPIRIT, this incredible smile....and he is dying. His humor is contagious. His outlook is optimistic when one would think there would be no room for optimism. He was diagnosed in 2006, but in August of 2007, he was told he had 3 to 6 months to live. He basically asserts that if you are given that kind of news and you haven't "lived your life according to your passions," it's too late at that point to start "TRYING" to live. In fact, he infers that you should have been "living" all along...not when you learn that you have an incurable illness. Pausch rejoices that it was 9 months ago that he was told the 3 to 6 month time span.
He's a fighter, he loves his wife, he loves his family and it will be a long, long time, if ever that America sees a hero like Dr. Randy Pausch. I'm just sorry I didn't know about his work sooner. I only learned about him as a result of his illness, his interviews and watching his interview with Diane Sawyer.
Randy Pausch and his wife (Her name is Jai, pronounced "Jay" and he met her while speaking at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.) haven't been married all that long. They were doing what the rest of us do. Or are we? THEY were building their dreams, their lives, and moving forward and out of the blue, as I have discussed in this blog before, everything changed on a dime for that family. We can say we are living our lives to the fullest too, but I doubt we "really" are doing all that we can do in terms of loving, caring, laughing and actually making a contribution to "life."...and as far as we know, we don't have a deadly form of cancer that we are aware of. We just run the routine...day in, day out.
Pausch implores us not to take our lives for granted. He asks us to find our passion and go for it. He asks us most of all to "love."
So many people are motivated by money, things, status, appearances, hanging with the right group, social status, power, control...but none of those things are as powerful as knowing someone LOVES you. Not one of those things matter when life is at its end.
If you haven't read the book, "THE LAST LECTURE," please do so. It will, I believe make a change in your life.
You can go to YouTube and see the ENTIRE last lecture that Dr. Pausch spoke at Carnegie-Mellon University. Pausch had been asked to do a "last lecture," as many professors are, in order to try and theorize what you have to say IF it were indeed your last lecture. He was asked BEFORE he learned of his illness. Initially, Pausch had second thoughts about it after his diagnosis. Who wouldn't? As I said, it was to be a theoretical "last lecture." It is done at many universities and is considered a great honor. But, even knowing it was truly his last lecture, Pausch wasn't daunted. It's about an hour and worth every second of it. In fact, google Randy Pausch and read all you can, learn all you can and take in all you can from this man. His wisdom is so inspiring. There is a link to the right of my posts that will link you to a place to purchase the book. (Carnegie-Mellon is now selling copies of "The Last Lecture" DVD and I believe the money goes to pancreatic cancer research.) I have bought copies of the book for lots of folks, as I believe this story is "that" important. You can find it at all major bookstores. Do yourself and those you love a favor and get it (if I haven't gotten it for you yet! ha!) I gave it to Marah for her own graduation, as I felt it was "THAT" important for her to read as she enters into "the real world." After you have learned about Dr. Randy Pausch, do a favor for me....would you? Get back to me on those "problems" you've been having! We have no problems. We do NOT have any problems. If you don't see what I mean by that upon learning about this amazing man...well...then something is wrong with you upstairs! Or you simply have no heart...and you'd better get that looked into quickly. I don't think you can "live" for very long without a heart either. Pun intended!
In order to pique your interest, please see the video above from the recent surprise address he gave at the 2008 Commencement at Carnegie-Mellon. His charge is short...about 6 minutes and it will leave you hungering to know more about this man and his life. I could go on and on, but what I have to say "about" Randy Pausch isn't important. What is important is that YOU give him a listen..and then be truly thankful.
Till next time...make your moments count for something,
Annie

|

Well, it's gone again. The "hour" that I blogged about seemingly a few short months ago, has now vanished again. I received an email from my dear friend Geof Morris who knows exactly how I feel about "losing" this hour. He said the "time bandits" had shown up at 2am on Sunday morning and just TOOK my hour. Let me say that I do enjoy the longer days. I really do. But losing this hour is really important to me. It has ALWAYS messed with me physically, as my sleep pattern, as though it were even remotely close to "normal" anyway, gets fouled up. Then, I can't remember what clocks I have re-set and which ones I haven't. My body clock thinks it's AN HOUR earlier than it really is....the litany of complaints goes on and on. Eventually, I get used to it like everyone else, but the first week is a bear.
So, today, I was thinking just what all I'd get done if I had my hour back. Let's consider that these are things I probably didn't do when I HAD that extra hour, so I was both justifying and rationalizing my loss. I allowed myself to think a little deeply into what we all might do if we had just one more hour.
Perhaps we would have stayed a little longer with Frieda yesterday. Perhaps I would clean out my junk and get some things done I have been putting off. I was thinking "locally" first. Then I went on to think beyond my realms of possibility. I think I would do everything to get on every NEWS CHANNEL and DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY OF POLITICIANS. I am SICK, SICK, SICK of hearing about prostitutes, OUR MONEY being spent on hookers, trash and filth. GOD has been taken out of our country. There is no sanctity in government anymore. It's all based on who can pay off whom, what kind of corruption can be covered up by a favor. I watch it go on right here in my own county, so why would I expect less from "big government?" It's a mess. A REAL MESS. One hour. That's all I'd want to hit the mass media and "tell it like it is" based on the opinion on just one average American.
I might take my one hour and spend it totally in prayer. I might do something else like love my animals AND pray, which I often do...for an hour. I might do something just for "me" which I seldom do.
In that one hour I just had to forfeit, I would like to talk to a friend for a while...like I did Flavel last Friday night. We spent a super fast 95 minutes and 54 seconds gabbing, as I said in a previous post. It went by in a flash!
I would like mostly to take that hour and spend it wisely. Oh sure, it will be autumn again soon enough and I'll be cheering because I got my hour back, but now that one is gone, I lament.
Bottom line here? Time flies. We don't live enough. We don't love enough. We don't DO enough for others. We have become so self-centered that it's frightening and we don't GIVE enough of ourselves to others. We don't DEMAND those we elect and PAY OUR MONEY TO to be stand up people. We don't hold them to to any standard of punishment when they DO get caught and they always do.
We have become a society that turns its collective head and no one has enough courage to take a position on much of anything, especially truth, values, commitment, keeping your word, doing the right thing and everything that falls into those categories of "being a good human being."
There are so many things that people who are dying or whose lives have been compromised in some way would surely spend just one more hour. I'm certain they would do many things differently. I have learned so much from diseases that I have HAD to learn about such as cancer and Parkinson's disease. My mother has been cancer free for some time now. Yet, before we could really breathe deeply with that, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's. So, we live with that as a family. My maternal grandmother died from Parkinson's. We've had too much exposure to that. I now know how devastating a stroke can be. My best friend has had two of them. She is in a facility. She is learning everything all over again and she is fighting as hard as anyone you'll ever see. I can only imagine what my mom would say about "an hour" or what Frieda would tell me now about something seemingly as simple as "an hour."
If I had ONE HOUR and could get the attention of so many people who are clearly not listening, I would beg them with all my heart to THINK. Just think. Think about the Golden Rule. Think about the things you do to others and what your motives are.
I would grab the attention of our nations leaders...ALL OF THEM and ask them WHAT ON EARTH DO THEY THINK THEY ARE DOING TO OUR COUNTRY??? I don't know about you, but I don't like my hard earned money being spent on prostitutes, lavish and unnecessary things that have absolutely nothing to do with the operations of our country.
One hour...doesn't seem like you could change much, but if we don't at least try, how can we know?
I still want my hour back...I hope it will be waiting for me come fall. I'll be anxious to have it back.
How about you?
Just in that hour...try not to be ungrateful when people do good things for others. It makes things so dark and gray and causes hurt and trouble.
Life is much too short to deal with misery and drama.
Till next time.
Annie

|

"I want to know if u will give me a lift to the room." -Frieda Hudson, January 6, 2008
Frieda Hudson spelled a complete sentence for Wayne and me today. We had been spelling several things for a while and when it got close to time for us to leave, she made her request. At first, I thought she was spelling something funny, especially when it got to the "give me a lift" part. I thought (and so did Wayne!) that she was going to crack a joke and say she wanted to come to Sanford with us.
However, she continued with "to the room." "The room" is the day room where the big screen TV is. Frieda can handle the remote and was on A&E in a nano-second! She can flip channels and can find "murder and mayhem" with no problems! I have been SO overwhelmed with Frieda's determination and improvements that it has been truly overwhelming to blog about it. It has become difficult for me to put into words just how much she is doing. Therefore, you'll get quite a bit with this posting! Today when she spelled the sentence, I asked her directly, "Is it okay for me to blog about what you have spelled?" She grinned really big and gave me a THUMBS UP! I had said in a previous post that I might need to take several posts to get things all up to date and up to speed, and you'll be thrilled and amazed at the wonderful improvements Frieda has made of late! As I can get thoughts together and all the new info lined up, I'll get the updates posted. Like everyone this time of year, it has been incredibly busy for me in every area of life, so the pressure is on and I know I'm behind. I just want to make sure that all the new things get the proper attention they deserve. For example, Frieda has been sitting up on a mat for extended periods of time (up to 30 minutes) unassisted. She has spent as much as 2 hours or more in a wheel chair, she has been getting more and more important rehabilitation that she has so desperately needed over the past few months and she is responding remarkably well. Her speech therapist is totally thrilled with her progress and adores her. She has been eating ice cream, swallowing on her own better and better and most importantly, Frieda's sense of humor hasn't dimmed even slightly.
I also want to share a story with you about the Myers family and how Frieda WAS their Christmas this year. The Season of Advent was celebrated by the Myers family in honor of Frieda and gift by a family member was given to Frieda each day of Advent. Some gifts were funny, some VERY useful...and all were adored by Frieda. Even the "stockings" were gifts and will be very comfy and useful to Frieda. All of these stories and more are to come. I know you will be so very inspired. We certainly have been. Blessings in the wake of adversity are everywhere if you look hard enough.
January 8, 2008- I had to leave the information above as I was typing while en route to Sanford. My dad had hip replacement surgery on Monday, so we made a visit to Frieda on our way out of town. Things went "perfectly routine" with the surgery, so we've been doing the "support" and "attaboy" thing while we wait for him to be released. We've even managed a few laughs. Intravenous medications can make even a stoic person totally hysterical! We had a great time listening to Peepaw ramble on about this and that under the influence of morphine and phenergan.
Wayne and I were following my folks to the hospital yesterday at 5am. Totally without warning, a deer hit us. We were fine. The grille of Wayne's truck, however, didn't fare so well. To make a benign story more interesting however, my uncle Jerry was on his way to visit Peepaw this evening and BAM! He too was hit by a deer. The front and driver's side of his 2 week old BMW, however, didn't fare so well either. So, we've all been busy making claims, oohing and ahhing at damages and going over just how lucky we were. I am glad no one was hurt in either mishap, but it's sure a pain in the rear when you're out of town and have start up conversations with insurance companies.
Alas, these are the things we deal with. We don't like them...like any other inconvenience. I guess it keeps us humble. Therefore, I have to try to form my first paragraphs into a mold with this part of the post.
In most lives, a sentence that states "can you give me a lift" to anything wouldn't be really remembered, much less "CELEBRATED," however, since July, I have learned a great deal as to what warrants importance and what simply must be dealt with and finally what really doesn't matter at all. All those things are "relative" to a circumstance.
The deer didn't destroy our vehicles. We are all safe. The surgery was totally routine.
And Frieda spelled a sentence. "I want to know if u will give me a lift to the room." GO GET 'EM FRIEDA! I'm grinning from ear to ear just remembering that beautiful sentence. IT WAS MUSIC TO MY EYES!
Life is good...life is very, very good.
And blessings are so many.

|